Packers Expect Breakout Year, Crack Christian Watson’s Injury Issues: Report
The Green Bay Packers have successfully exited the Aaron Rodgers era, an accomplishment all the more remarkable in light of the health problems they have faced in recent seasons. The player most affected by an injury is wide receiver Christian Watson. As a second-round choice (No. 34 overall) out of North Dakota State in 2022, Watson joins the team as a lightning-fast rusher with big-play potential on every play.
He was the first of many good pass-catchers that Green Bay had added in the previous two years. In addition, he would likely be the most accomplished member of the group statistically if he had stayed healthy the entire time.
Sadly for the Packers, Watson has only appeared in 23 of the 34 games during the regular season that he has started since entering the NFL. Watson has averaged 15 yards per grab and scored 12 total touchdowns despite all of the lost time and persistent injury concerns. He has only caught 69 passes for 1,033 yards overall, though.
Watson must resolve his hamstring problems if he is to play to the best of his abilities. Thankfully for the Packers, it seems that team physicians have made progress in that regard.
The Packers Think They’ve Found the Problems Causing Christian Watson’s Persistent Hamstring Issues
Jordan Love’s breakout season in 2023 made Green Bay a serious Super Bowl candidate, but maintaining Watson’s health will be essential to the team’s ability to compete at the highest levels.
With what he’s learned from the Packers’ medical staff, Rob Demovsky of ESPN predicted on Wednesday, May 22, that Watson will have a breakout year in 2024 and be the team’s “biggest surprise.” Early reports on the incredibly gifted receiver suggest that during his first two seasons, both he and the team have gained an understanding of the nature of his hamstring problems, according to Demovsky. “If that’s the case, a significant push for Watson might be forthcoming.
Packers Have Reliable Options at Wide Receiver Following Christian Watson Should His Health Problems Recur
The 25-year-old Watson still has plenty of time left in Green Bay, but he needs to show that he can play on the field consistently and have a successful season in order to guarantee a long-term contract with the team.
Watson is a second-round choice, and Green Bay is not granted a fifth-year option. In a way, this is advantageous for the team because it means Watson won’t require an early May deadline-related big financial decision the following summer. If the team doesn’t renew him before March 2026, he will be free to sign with any team.
But no matter how his next season or two go in terms of output and/or injuries, Green Bay has until 2024 to get Watson right and assess his readiness to be the team’s top receiver in the long run. The Packers can turn to Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, or Dontayvion Wicks to take over as the team’s primary pass-catching target if Watson is unable to stay on the field once more. They can then start thinking about a future in which Watson may not play a significant role at all
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